March One-Step Equations Classroom Transformation
Do you want to change it up and review solving one-step equations in a fun way? I have put together some review stations for my 6th grade math class that will be sure to engage your students too! These stations involve adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing to solve one-step equations. The answers come out “nicely” and are positive whole numbers.
If you teach 5th or 7th grade, I have a set for you too!
- 5th Grade – Multiply and Divide Fractions
- 6th Grade – Solving One-Step Equations
- 7th Grade – Solving One-Step Inequalities
Let’s get to it! I am going to share with you about each station and how it went over with my classes…
Supplies: Enough rainbow station sets for each group, recording sheets to show student work, glue sticks or a stapler.
How to complete the chain:
- Cut out all the strips of paper.
- Students will start with the “START” link.
- Place the letter in the square on the recording sheet and solve the math problem.
- Search the other strips to find the answer.
- Place the next strip with the answer and glue on top of the “PASTE HERE” from the previous strip.
- Continue until you reach “THE END” strip. All strips should be used in the chain.
- Write the letters on the strips in order on the bottom of the recording sheet
- Check out your completed chain!
How it went: The students loved this station. It was relatively easy for them to understand how to complete it. The one thing they complained about was that my glue wasn’t sticky enough.
Supplies: A set of the gold coins and pots of gold printed and cut out. I laminate these so I can use them year after year!
How to complete the sort:
- Cut out the pots of gold and the coin strips.
- Set up the pots of gold on a desk.
- Solve each of the coin strip equations on the recording sheet.
- Sort the coin strips and place under the pot of gold with the answer.
- Continue until all the coin strips are under the pots of gold.
How it went: This was one of my students’ favorite stations. I don’t think they have done too many sorts before so it was something new for them. They end up solving a lot of equations with the sort so it is great practice.
Supplies: Maze puzzles printed. You can add highlighters to the station. This station also has a digital version if you wanted a digital station!
How to complete the Maze:
- Find the START hexagon.
- Solve the math problem inside the START hexagon.
- Then find the answer linking to the next hexagon.
- Draw a line or color in the path as you move through the math problems and the correct answers that link them.
- Solve the next math problem and continue to link the hexagons until you reach THE END.
How it went: My students that enjoy coloring thought this was a hit. I let them use highlighters to find their way through the maze and just using a different tool makes this station exciting.
Supplies: A gold coin puzzle per group. You can either print them out and have the students paste the completed puzzle on a larger piece of paper or you can laminate the pieces and use them year after year!
How to complete the puzzle:
- Cut out each hexagon.
- Match the equation to the solution.
- Double check that each side of the hexagon is matched to its solution.
- Watch out! Some expressions DO NOT have a solution, those are the end pieces.
- Your final solution should look like a pyramid.
How it went: This was the most challenging of the stations. I felt like it as a good station for the students that need a challenge and found the topic of one-step equations pretty easy. This station also takes the longest. For some groups, I gave them a hint by telling them which piece was the middle piece and that seemed to help them!
Station 5: Pot of Gold Coloring
Supplies: Pot of Gold question sheet and coloring page, colored pencils, markers, or crayons.
How to complete the coloring sheet:
- Solve the math problems on the “Pot of Gold” page.
- Find the solutions in the table on the right of the page.
- Fill the color in the chart.
- Color the pot of gold coloring page with the solutions!
How it went: This is always a hit in my classroom. The students love that they get to color at the end of the math part! I make them for lots of topics throughout the year so they enjoy seeing what theme is coming up! (CLICK HERE to see the other coloring activity options)
You can add to the theme with the March Motivational Bulletin Board too! My whole classroom is decorated with these activities now! I added a rainbow above my white board, their coloring is on another wall, and the finished puzzles have their own bulletin board. Overall, it was a fantastic review! Let me know if you have any questions or you do the activities in your classroom by leaving a review.
The hats, gold coins, and little pots of gold are from The Dollar Tree. The tables are covered in bulletin board paper!
